DEVON and Cornwall Constabulary is looking for four-legged recruits with a potential nose for sniffing out bombs and drugs, writes Matthew Hyde.
The force needs six energetic dogs with a zest for play to join its specialist search dog unit.
Owners who have active dogs such as springer spaniels, cocker spaniels and labradors and who may be finding them a bit boisterous are asked to consider giving them a happier dog's life with the police.
Dogs begin their training with an eight-week course at police headquarters in May which will see them learning to search for explosive devices and drugs.
Course instructor PC David King said: 'Most of the police dogs we use for specialist searching are rescue dogs. Some people may have an energetic dog they can no longer look after properly.
'As long as the dogs are not aggressive or nervous we can give them a fantastic life with the police dog handlers who will exercise and work them daily.'
The new recruits could potentially play a key role in ensuring public safety at local and national events including the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and Olympic Games in 2012.
'The terrorist incident that took place at the Giraffe restaurant in Exeter proved recently that we have a need for explosive search dogs and they were used effectively to search the area following the bomb blast,' said PC King.
Anyone wanting to find a new home for their dog should email PC Martin Le Blanc at martin. [email protected]">[email protected]. police.uk.